Classified?
by gawilliams
Summary: Esposito is not happy that he is still not being told about the mission in Linchpin and Ryan plays a joke on him about it, roping in everyone else.


_Here's just a short funny one shot I thought about after seeing Linchpin. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

"I can't believe they won't tell us," Esposito said as he sat down heavily in his chair. "The freakin' CIA gives Beckett an awesome ride, and she still won't tell us what the Hell this was all about. Even Castle knows!"

"You mean you still don't know?" Ryan said, feigning shock, trying to get one over on his best friend. "Man, you must really be down the food chain anymore."

"They told a pissant like you and not me?" Esposito practically hissed. "I got security clearances up the wazoo! Come on, Bro. Let me in on it."

"Sorry, Man, it's classified," Ryan said calmly. All the while he sent text messages to Castle, Beckett, Lanie, and the Captain about what he was doing.

"How the Hell can it be classified if they let _**you**_ in on it, Mr. _**I tell my woman everything**_?" Espo spat sarcastically. "I was Special Forces for God's sake! If _**I**_ can't be trusted, but _**Writer Boy**_ can, then the whole world's going down the crapper!"

"Not my call, Man," Ryan said as he turned back to his computer and began working on reports.

Five hours later Esposito was going nuts. He'd been in to see Captain Gates who had told him that everyone who had been cleared on the Need To Know had been informed. That got him amped up even more. He'd been left out on a _**Need To Know**_? What the Hell? He hadn't noticed Gates' wicked grin when he stomped out of her office. Then he brightened. Lanie! His Chica would tell him what he needed to know. No doubt about where her loyalties lay.

"Sorry, Javi, I was told to never tell anyone, and if they haven't let you in on it, my lips are sealed," Lanie told him simply.

"Come on, Lanie," he pleaded. "I won't tell anyone, and if you tell me I'll put on that little outfit you like so much and we can have some fun tonight," he bargained.

Lanie almost hung Ryan out to dry, as the image of Javi in that pair of black leather chaps, g-string, and black leather boots came flying into her mind. She shook her head to clear it. "Sorry, Babe," she told him. "If they aren't telling you, then you pissed off some serious heat and I don't intend on getting splattered if the you know what hits the fan."

"But even _**Castle**_ knows!" Espo practically shouted.

"Writer Boy knows the right people, Javi," Lanie goaded him.

Javi grumbled as he stormed out of the Morgue. "Castle knows people?" he spat. "_**I**_ know people! I know the _**SOCOM**_ _**Commander**_ himself, Dammit! What the Hell is going on in this world?"

Lanie sent a text to Ryan. _You better be careful. Javi's out for blood._

Esposito came tearing into the bullpen, nostrils flaring. He was going to nip this classified BS in the bud once and for all! He came swooping down on Castle and Beckett.

"Okay, play times over," he said with that glint that only a special ops guy could have. "You think you're so special Writer Boy? You think you know people? You barked up the wrong tree, Mr. Amateur Hour. Now I wanna know what the Hell's going on! How come everyone and their freakin' Mother knows what's been going on and I'm left out in the cold? I have more security clearances than anyone here, and Writer Boy doesn't have any, unless all that conspiracy mumbo jumbo is coming from Uncle Sam and the Alphabet brigade! Now fess up! Hell, even my pansy partner Ryan knows!"

"Pansy?" Ryan looked offended as he stopped to hand off come paperwork to Beckett. Inside he was laughing his ass off. His little joke was working beautifully. Javi was about to have a serious meltdown.

"That's right you whipped puppy!" Espo said sarcastically. "Now I want in on it!"

"You think we should?" Beckett asked Castle with a raised brow.

"Well he is part of the team," Castle replied, always loving a good joke.

"_**Damn straight I am!**_" Esposito said firmly.

"Well, the straight stuff is that no one but me and Castle knows anything, and Ryan has been yanking your chain all day and roped everyone into it," Beckett said calmly. "You know, Espo, watching you have a slow meltdown all day has been pretty entertaining."

"I have to agree with you, Detective," Gates said from where she had been witnessing the whole exchange. "Good work, Detective Ryan. Excellent morale building idea. Keep it up," she ordered, and then walked back to her office smiling.

Esposito glared fiercely at Ryan. "You and me, Bro? The ring after work. I think it's time to show you what a _**real**_ Rambo can do!" he snarled and then stomped off to his desk.

"Don't worry, Ryan, I'll cover all your hospital bills," Castle assured the now white as a sheet detective.

"And I'll let Jenny know that it was all for the good of unit morale," Beckett added.

"Thanks _**a lot**_, guys," Ryan said sickly as he made his way over to his desk, not so sure now if his little joke about classified info had really been worth it. What a day to have a massive brain fart like this.

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one. Just for your information SOCOM stands for _**S**_pecial _**O**_perations _**COM**_mand. It is the Joint Forces command that overseas all Special Operations activities for the United States Military. Gregg._


End file.
